How to make aji colorado

This is the stuff of legends, my friends.

I use this in just about everything I cook, from traditional Peruvian dishes to many of my wacky throw-together meals. Why? Because it makes everything taste that much better. Think of chipotle peppers. You know how they can transform a ho-hum thing into an omg-that’s-delicious thing? That’s what this is.

In Peru, they use ají panca, a dried red chile pepper to make ají colorado. It can be a little difficult to find in the U.S. unless you have a very well-stocked Latin American market by you. Fortunately, by the blessings of gods, I can score it just down the road from me at the local mercado. If you just can’t find it no matter where you look, you can buy it online here.

Or, you can do what my parents have done for years, and that is use dried California or New Mexico chiles instead of ají panca.

The flavors are fairly similar across the board, with California being the mildest and having a fruity, raisin-like taste, New Mexico having an earthier, richer flavor with a bit more spice, and ají panca with a combination of both California + New Mexico flavors with added heat. Now that I can get my hands on ají panca regularly, it’s typically my first choice when making ají colorado but really, the flavor difference with the other chiles is minimal and it won’t affect the recipe.

Speaking of which, here are a couple ideas to get you started on your enriched life as an ají colorado aficionado —

Use kitchen shears to lop off the stems of the dried chiles and then cut all along the side, lengthwise, exposing the innards and discarding the seeds and membranes. Grab a large fry pan and set it over high heat. Toss the chiles onto the hot pan and toast until fragrant, pliable, and slightly charred, about 1-2 minutes, flipping on other side halfway in between. It might be a good idea to open up the window and turn on the exhaust fan because these can get sort of strong as they cook. Also, wash your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water immediately after handling the chiles.

Put the chiles into a large bowl and pour enough boiling water to submerge them. Let them reconstitute until they’re very soft, about 10 minutes.

Grab the chiles with tongs and put them in a blender. Add about 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of the water they were sitting in and blend together until a somewhat smooth paste forms. The consistency should be pourable. If it’s too chunky, add more water, one tablespoon at a time.

At this point you can either put all of it into a glass jar and refrigerate it, which should last you a couple weeks.

Or, you can do what I do and measure out tablespoon amounts, put them into ice cube trays, freeze them, and then dump them out into a bag to stash in the freezer for whenever you need just a bit. This works out especially well for me. You don’t even have to defrost it before adding it to your pot of cooking, you just toss it right in. Unless, you’re using it as a marinade, in which case you’d have to toss it in the micro for half a minute to soften slightly.

It’s as easy as that folks. Trust me when I say that adding just a tablespoon of this stuff to your food will drastically enhance the flavor, making you the best cook in town.

Stephanie-You’re very welcome! Have you used the aji colorado in any dishes yet?

diana -Thanks a lot for your post, you’ve help me a lot!

Margaret Denny -Can you give a list of where to buy New Mexico peppers in Baton Rouge (south side, please near LSU if there is such a place). My neighborhood Walmart grocery had them once, but now they don’t (one of the many, many things I hate about Walmart). I don’t want to have to order on line and wait for them!

Chile Relleno Cheeseburger | Island Vittles-[…] made the buns using my Everyday Bread Recipe, and I stirred some of this amazing Aji Colorado (so easy to make, and it adds flavour to everything!) into some mayo for the […]

Chicken Tacos | little white apron-[…] the chicken a great smoky flavor I use a homemade New Mexico chili puree. You can get the recipe here. It’s really easy and adds a wonderful flavor to any mexican dish. I use it in lots of […]

Stephanie-Hey Jorie! I’m so thrilled you made it and it turned out well for you! I know, it’s strong isn’t it??

fatpiginthemarket-I made the miracle paste! Used it in arroz con pollo in place of my normal chipotle dollop. Awesome! The black beans I made were a bit bland that night…guess what fixed them? Love this stuff. Good advice on opening the windows and firing up the exhaust fan.